Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on Personnel changes
18 conversations · frequently with Nixon, Bull, Ehrlichman, Ziegler
President Nixon met with departing White House staff members Leah McReynolds, William E. Casselman, II, and David N. Parker to formally express his appreciation for their service. During the brief session, the President presented the staffers with gifts as tokens of his gratitude. A White House photographer was present to document the occasion before the group departed the Oval Office.
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman held a brief, cryptic discussion regarding potential personnel changes involving CIA Director Richard M. Helms. The conversation centers on the administration's skepticism regarding Helms's ability to fulfill specific requirements or maintain a desired focus. No formal decision was finalized during this one-minute exchange.
President Nixon met with Jerome Rosow, James Hodgson, John Ehrlichman, and George Shultz to discuss Rosow's departure and future professional plans. The meeting included the presentation of gifts to Rosow and a brief photograph session with the White House photographer. The participants also touched upon broader administration goals regarding the environment and increasing employment figures.
President Nixon met with departing Secret Service agent Robert J. Jamison, his wife, and personal secretary Rose Mary Woods for a brief farewell visit. The discussion centered on Jamison's lengthy tenure with the Secret Service, including his experience during a Latin American trip, and his upcoming retirement plans to move to Florida. Nixon presented the couple with presidential gifts as a gesture of appreciation for Jamison's service and continued personal support.
President Nixon met with Paul McCracken and George Shultz to review current economic performance, particularly regarding GNP growth and unemployment, while also discussing the urgency of negotiations within the international monetary system. Nixon expressed deep frustration with the American business community, characterizing corporate leaders as timid and lacking the fortitude he observed in other nations. The meeting also addressed McCracken’s planned departure from his role and the search for a successor, with the group emphasizing the need to maintain pressure on the Federal Reserve regarding the money supply.
President Nixon met with Christine Wilde, Jon M. Huntsman, and Alexander P. Butterfield for a brief logistical discussion regarding Wilde’s departure from the administration. The group addressed the timing of her exit and her transition to a new professional role. The meeting concluded with the President presenting Wilde with a parting gift, for which she expressed her gratitude.
President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to coordinate White House messaging on domestic policy, the upcoming busing decision, and the ITT controversy. Following Ziegler's departure, Henry Kissinger joined the President to discuss foreign policy strategy, specifically addressing ongoing frustrations with Secretary of State William P. Rogers. The two leaders explored the potential for replacing Rogers and debated the political risks of personnel changes within the State Department during delicate international negotiations.
President Nixon met with CIA Director Richard Helms to emphasize the urgency of executing pending personnel and organizational changes within the intelligence agency. Nixon pressed Helms to implement these adjustments as thoroughly as possible. The brief exchange focused on accelerating the pace of internal restructuring efforts.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to review positive military developments in Vietnam, including successful operations against North Vietnamese forces and the effectiveness of the ongoing bombing campaign. The conversation shifted to Nixon’s deep frustration with the Central Intelligence Agency, specifically criticizing its personnel for being overly cautious, unreliable, and obstructionist. Nixon and Haig discussed plans to aggressively purge the agency of the established 'Georgetown' and 'OSS' crowd, emphasizing the need to cut staff and forcibly reassign those deemed to be problematic.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed how to handle a request from Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern for foreign policy briefings. They decided to rebuff McGovern's specific demands—which they viewed as a political trap—by having staff facilitate the briefings at a lower level to avoid elevating the candidate's stature. The conversation also touched upon the political implications of Vietnam negotiations, frustration with Republican congressional "doves," and plans for an extensive post-election purge of personnel within the State Department, Defense Department, and CIA.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman briefly discussed the performance and professional shortcomings of an unidentified subordinate. Nixon expressed frustration with the individual's lack of precision and rigorous work ethic, ultimately determining that the person should be replaced. The pair agreed there was no immediate urgency to finalize the staff departure.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman met at Camp David to strategize the personnel changes and structural reorganization for the President’s second term. The participants discussed replacing Secretary of State William P. Rogers with Kenneth Rush and deliberated over various Cabinet-level and departmental appointments, emphasizing the need for 'tough' management and political responsiveness. They also addressed the transition of White House staff, the handling of the energy crisis, and the importance of ensuring ethnic and regional representation, specifically seeking Catholic and Southern appointees for key roles.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss strategies for removing key Republican officials, specifically RNC Chairman Bob Dole and political figures Peter Dominick and Bob Wilson, without the White House appearing responsible for the personnel changes. Nixon directs Haldeman to orchestrate external pressure by having party allies and state leaders publicly call for a full-time professional chairman, thereby creating a consensus that forces these individuals out gracefully. Additionally, the two touch upon a recent Life magazine cover featuring the President, which Nixon dismisses as a deliberate act of media sabotage, and they discuss organizing a public protest against the publication.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to coordinate public messaging regarding the administration's second-term reorganization and ongoing press relations. The discussion covered the upcoming announcement of personnel changes in the Department of Agriculture, strategies for shaping public perception of staff cuts, and the management of Christmas-related events at the White House. Additionally, they reviewed recent media coverage, specifically critiquing inaccuracies in news magazine reports concerning administrative departures and the performance of George P. Shultz in communicating economic policy.
President Nixon met with Laurence H. Silberman and his wife to formally bid farewell to Silberman as he departed the administration. During the meeting, which included commemorative photography, Nixon expressed appreciation for Silberman’s service alongside George P. Shultz and James D. Hodgson. The President further offered career advice regarding Silberman’s transition into a private law firm partnership, emphasizing the value of his government experience.
President Nixon met with Herbert G. Klein and Donna J. Kingwell to bid farewell to Kingwell as she transitioned to a new position in California. The discussion touched upon personal matters, including Kingwell's residence and background, alongside reflections on Klein’s public relations work and his recent trip to the People's Republic of China. The meeting concluded with the President expressing his appreciation for their service.
President Nixon held a brief introductory conversation with David Packard to discuss the recent resignations of H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman amid the deepening Watergate scandal. Seeking to leverage Packard's experience, Nixon requested a follow-up meeting to gauge Packard's interest in returning to government service. They scheduled a breakfast meeting for the following Thursday to discuss the potential appointment further, noting that key congressional figures had already expressed enthusiasm for the prospect.
President Nixon and Ronald Ziegler discuss the political fallout of the Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on John Dean’s documents regarding 1970 domestic intelligence coordination and their classification status. They also address John B. Connally’s advocacy for a broad staff "housecleaning" that would remove figures like H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Nixon rejects the necessity of such drastic personnel changes, particularly regarding the State Department, citing the complexity of upcoming Soviet summit negotiations.